


Cats, Wings, & Shiny Things

by dreyars



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Established Relationship, Fluff, Fukunaga's Birthday, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-29
Updated: 2015-09-30
Packaged: 2018-04-23 21:52:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4893670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreyars/pseuds/dreyars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Fukunaga's birthday, and Ennoshita is determined to make sure its the best day of his life.  (Fukunaga simply thinks that any day he gets to spend with Ennoshita is the best day ever.)</p><p>{Birthday Fic for Fukunaga Shouhei on September 29}</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Soft sheets, a warm bed, and the hum of a quiet morning was what Fukunaga woke up to on the morning of his twenty-second birthday.  The creaking of his bones as he stretched his arms over his head told him that he could use a few more hours of sleep (if only his eyes hadn’t already seen the soft light of day peeking through the crack in the curtains).  He still squished his eyes shut as he attempted to wake himself up, stretching an arm out to the empty spot beside him.

Fukunaga wondered only briefly where Ennoshita was as he finally tuned in to the noises that must have caused him to wake up moments ago.  He heard the sound of pans clattering as well as the distinctive tone of metal running against porcelain, meaning that Ennoshita was probably up in the kitchen rather than keeping their bed warm. 

Fukunaga waited a few more moments for his senses to come to him before rolling over and placing his feet on the ground.  He curled his toes in the carpet of their bedroom as he walked to the door, slowly sliding it open so that it did not make the awful squeaking noise that Ennoshita swore he would fix one weekend.   The sounds of cooking became louder as he padded down the short hallway, past their living room, and into the kitchen.  Ennoshita was exactly where Fukunaga expected him to be, with his back facing the doorway as he busied himself with whatever he had decided to prepare that morning.

Ennoshita was humming a song Fukunaga vaguely recognized as he slipped up behind him and wrapped his arms around his waist. Fukunaga smiled as felt the rumble of Ennoshita’s laugh after tickling his stomach. 

“You scared me.  I hope I didn’t wake you up.”

Fukunaga clicked his tongue as he rubbed his face against the back of Ennoshita’s shirt, knowing that he would understand.  Even if he had been woken up early, it didn’t really matter because Fukunaga would get to spend more of his special day with his boyfriend.

Ennoshita turned away from his cooking, twisting around in Fukunaga’s arms so that he could peck a quick kiss to his nose.  Fukunaga felt his face heat up while Ennoshita studied him as he so often did in the morning.   Those sleepy eyes, watching every slight shift of his face, trying to determine the things Fukunaga was feeling that day.  Fukunaga could never look away, even if at first, these deep inspections made him more uncomfortable than Ennoshita realized.  But he never asked him to stop, not even when Ennoshita began watching him quietly on their first date. 

He never asked him to stop because Ennoshita was doing something no one had ever attempted to do for him before.

Ennoshita was always trying to understand him.  From the furrow of his brow to the press of his lips against each other, Ennoshita probably knew every emotion that Fukunaga could potentially feel, just from the subtle changes of his face.

Ennoshita knew more about him than people who had known him his entire life.  Sometimes Fukunaga even played with the idea that somehow, Ennoshita had been blessed with knowledge about him that he did not know himself.

Fukunaga watched Ennoshita’s eyes as they ghosted across his face.  The purpose behind his gaze was so determined that Fukunaga felt as if Ennoshita’s fingers were dragging across his skin, mapping over a terrain he had already committed to memory.  After a few moments, Ennoshita’s eyes began to flutter, signaling the end of their casual intimacy, and Fukunaga dipped his head down to hide against Ennoshita’s neck.

He always felt so vulnerable when Ennoshita watched him, almost to the point of being overwhelmed.  But with Ennoshita, vulnerability was almost comforting, because Fukunaga knew that the other man would never take advantage of the fact that he was the only one to ever see the other side of his walls.

Once his assessment was complete, Ennoshita leaned forward to properly wish Fukunaga a good morning.  A lingering press of lips followed by Ennoshita’s thumb tracing along his mouth, following the curve of his small smile was all Fukunaga needed to shake off the last veil of drowsiness.

“Happy birthday, Shouhei.”  Ennoshita smiled at him so sweetly that Fukunaga could not resist kissing him again, lifting his hands to cup his boyfriend’s cheeks as they met in the middle.  Ennoshita’s hands slid down to grip Fukunaga’s hips, kissing him slowly as Fukunaga tried to press him against the counter.  They only parted after hearing a loud pop from the stove.

Ennoshita pulled away, moving to turn the heat down so that he did not burn their breakfast.  Fukunaga pouted as he lifted himself onto the counter, crossing his ankles as Ennoshita continued to cook.  Fukunaga knew his look of disappointment had been seen as Ennoshita never stopped grinning even as a bit of the oil from the vegetables he was frying splattered on his arm.

“Don’t look at me like that, Shouhei.  I have a lot planned for you today, and I wouldn’t want you to get tired out so early in the morning.” 

Fukunaga let out a fake sigh of exasperation as Ennoshita winked at him.  Ennoshita always liked to tease, and Fukunaga always liked to indulge him.  Especially since Fukunaga kind of knew Ennoshita had been planning this day for an obscenely long time. 

It had started a few months ago, with Ennoshita casually asking for clarification on when his birthday was. 

“September 29th. Right, Shouhei?”

Fukunaga had simply lifted an eyebrow at him, curious as why to Ennoshita was asking.  He had had Fukunaga’s birthdate memorized for years.  They had been dating since their third year of high school after Ennoshita noticed him at their annual training camp.  One of the first questions Ennoshita had even asked of him was when his birthday was.  At the time, Ennoshita had pouted because Fukunaga was a few months older than him, but that pout quickly turned into a smile because that meant he could celebrate Fukunaga’s next birthday with him in a few short months.

They didn’t actually get to celebrate it together, but they did watch a movie together online after Fukunaga got home from Yamamoto’s mandatory birthday celebrations.  The only reason Fukunaga stayed awake after an exhausting day was because Ennoshita kept talking to him all throughout the movie, telling him fun little facts that he thought Fukunaga would like to know, as well as making plans for what movie they should watch the next time they got to actually see each other.

Fukunaga had fallen asleep with a cheesy little smile on his face that night, and later, Ennoshita admitted to a similar fate.  Ennoshita had never forgotten his birthday after that, sometimes even remembering it when Fukunaga didn’t realize that it had snuck up on him so quickly.

That was what had happened last year.  Fukunaga didn’t know where the time went.  He had forgotten to ask off of work for the day like he usually did because Ennoshita couldn’t take the day off of school to celebrate with him.  He didn’t even remember what day it was until he got home and Ennoshita had decorated the living room for a party of two.  That night, they didn’t even eat dinner as Ennoshita fed him a cake with fresh raspberries on top while they watched Fukunaga’s favorite TV show.  They ended up falling asleep on a bed of pillows and blankets on their living room floor, and Fukunaga wouldn’t have changed it for anything.

But a day like this one was also nice.  It wasn’t often that they got to share a simple morning of Ennoshita tending to breakfast, while taking quick breaks to kiss Fukunaga.  And today, it almost seemed like Ennoshita was moving with bubbles in his feet.  He practically bounced around the room as he set the table with the only china they owned and pulled a new bottle of Fukunaga’s favorite juice out of the fridge.  Just before their breakfast finished cooking, Ennoshita helped Fukunaga down from the counter. Fukunaga swore Ennoshita was about to spin him around the room as he grabbed him by the hips and pulled him forward.  The movement gave Fukunaga no choice but to wrap his arms around Ennoshita’s neck until the moment his feet touched the ground.

Not like bracing his hands on Ennoshita’s broad shoulders was ever a bad choice.

Ennoshita led him to the table before bringing their food, placing more eggs and vegetables than Fukunaga would be able to eat on his plate.  Ennoshita always over shot how much food he should make because he tended to burn things.  Fukunaga made a mental note to thank Ennoshita later for not waking him with the fire alarm.

Ennoshita watched him for a few moments, eagerly looking to see if he had done a good job with his first plan for Fukunaga’s birthday.  All it took was a hum and a small nod for Ennoshita to break out in a large grin, obviously pleased with himself.

“Are you wondering yet what other things we’re going to do today?”

Fukunaga swayed his head a bit from left to right, feigning a gesture that usually meant he was thinking.  Because of course he was curious.  Ennoshita had been acting odd since he asked when Fukunaga’s birthday was.  And as the day moved closer, Ennoshita only began to act stranger and stranger, tipping Fukunaga off to the fact that he must be planning something.  Ennoshita was the worst at keeping secrets, because as soon as he became excited about something, he always wanted to tell Fukunaga immediately.  Even if the secret he was supposed to be keeping was meant to be hidden from Fukunaga himself.

But this time, Ennoshita had somehow succeeded in keeping the surprise an actual surprise, even though Fukunaga had noticed him acting odd for quite a few months. 

He was being sneaky. Ending phone calls if Fukunaga entered a room, staying extra hours at work, waking up and leaving early on the weekends.  If it was anyone else, Fukunaga may have gotten suspicious.  But the one time Fukunaga had actually taken the time to ask what was up, Ennoshita made sure he knew that there was nothing to be suspicious of.  Besides, Fukunaga was still the one Ennoshita always came home to at the end of the night.

Fukunaga came to suspect that Ennoshita’s sneakiness had to do with his birthday a couple of weeks ago.  Apparently, Ennoshita had been contacting some of his friends, and unfortunately for him, he had contacted the one friend that kept secrets worse than he did. 

Inuoka nearly spilled the whole can of beans when he told Fukunaga he couldn’t wait to see him for his birthday.  Maybe Ennoshita hadn’t been clear enough that the event was supposed to a surprise, but as soon as Fukunaga expressed confusion as to why he’d be seeing Inuoka for his birthday, the younger man clammed up and didn’t say any more.

Ennoshita refused to answer why he had contacted Inuoka when Fukunaga asked him about it.  He just brushed off his questions by saying that maybe Inuoka would be coming into town around that time and wanted to see Fukunaga while he was nearby.

Fukunaga didn’t buy it, but since Ennoshita seemed determined to keep his secrets, he let it slide.

Besides, at the time, it was only a few more weeks until Fukunaga’s birthday.  And he could be described as patient enough.  He could wait to figure it out.  There was no point in wasting his breath when Ennoshita wouldn’t tell him regardless.

After breakfast, Ennoshita insisted Fukunaga go take a shower and get ready for the day.  He assured him there was no rush, but the faster that he got ready, the faster they could get to their first destination.

Ennoshita was laying on their bed when he returned, fiddling with his phone while he waited.  Once Fukunaga had slipped on his jeans, Ennoshita called to him softly, requesting that he come stand in front of him. 

Fukunaga laughed as Ennoshita rubbed his face against his bare stomach, stealing some of the warmth the shower had left on his skin.  Fukunaga figured that Ennoshita had decided to be more affectionate than normal today as he pressed a kiss just above his navel.  Fukunaga petted Ennoshita’s hair, smoothing down the back that must have gotten ruffled on the pillows.

After a few more nuzzles to Fukunaga’s stomach, Ennoshita let out a loud, contented sigh before standing up. He gathered Fukunaga to his chest, squeezing him in a tight hug as he whispered into his ear a soft “I love you.”

Fukunaga agreed by squeezing his hands against Ennoshita’s sides. 

Ennoshita released him with one last tight squeeze against his chest.

“Are you almost ready?  You should wear that dark green shirt I bought you a couple of weeks ago.  I think you’ll look really nice.”

Fukunaga nodded, moving towards their shared closet to find the shirt in question.  After slipping it over his head, he raised an eyebrow at Ennoshita who was already sitting back on their bed.

“Handsome, just like I thought.”  Ennoshita popped up from his seat and grabbed his keys off the nightstand, apparently ready to go.  “And we probably won’t be coming home until later tonight.  So I hope you’re ready, because today is all about you, Shouhei!”

Fukunaga tapped a loose fist against Ennoshita’s shoulder to offset his embarrassment, but still nodded that he was ready.  He still wasn’t used to be the center of attention, no matter how many times Ennoshita tried to push him into the spotlight.  Fukunaga knew he only did it out of care and love, but Ennoshita was really the only one he wanted attention from at this point.

Once they left their apartment, Ennoshita finally told him the first destination for his birthday celebrations.  Even though it was so simple, Fukunaga quickly became excited just from how enthusiastic Ennoshita was.  They laced their fingers together and walked along the edge of the sidewalk as Ennoshita led him to his favorite secluded little market.  It was never crowded, even on the weekends, and some of Fukunaga’s friends used to tease him for enjoying it so much because the second youngest regular was a fifty five year old lady.  Fukunaga was always glad Ennoshita didn’t mind coming with him since he didn’t like going by himself. It always seemed too far off of the main roadways for him to walk when he was alone, and yet he still liked coming to this area to shop for kitschy items like he used to with his grandmother.

Because it was his birthday, Ennoshita told Fukunaga to pick out whatever he wanted.  Normally, Fukunaga didn’t buy much, because he didn’t want to waste money on things that he didn’t really need.  The market was mostly comprised of little nick knacks that served no purpose other than to look interesting on the shelf in their living room.  But after a couple hours of walking through the tiny shops, Fukunaga had gathered a few gifts that made his eyes sparkle. 

His favorite find was a little stuffed bear that fit in the palm of his hand.  Ennoshita probably didn’t know that Fukunaga was comparing how similar the bear looked to him when he held it up against his cheek, but the little droopy eyes reminded him of Ennoshita as soon as he saw it.  He stuffed it into his pocket for safe keeping as Ennoshita carried their other bags.

After they left the market, the rest of the day seemed to pass in a blur.  Not that Fukunaga minded.  He was spending every waking moment with Ennoshita’s hand in his, and really, he wouldn’t have wanted to spend his birthday any other way. 

After the market, they went to their favorite café and shared fried ice cream for lunch.  It was a rare treat because normally, Fukunaga could not handle the amount of sweetness on his own, but sharing with Ennoshita always made it a little bit better.

Fukunaga realized there were lots of things that he did not like to do without Ennoshita.  When they first started dating, Fukunaga always worried that his nature would drive Ennoshita away.  He didn’t like to do a lot of things by himself, and he didn’t like to be alone for very long.  In high school, he always made sure to hang out with friends until either Ennoshita said he was free to video call, or until he knew his parents would be at home.  Being alone and doing things alone never suited Fukunaga well, which many thought contrary to his quiet personality.

But of course, Ennoshita never minded.  He seemed to find the way Fukunaga relied on him endearing, and was more than happy to provide the support Fukunaga needed in everyday situations.  Fukunaga was more than grateful for the love Ennoshita has shown him, and still wishes he could find a way to pay him back for it all. 

Ennoshita always told him that there was no need to think about things like that.  He never felt like Fukunaga needed to pay him back or do something for him in return.

He just said that this was simply something you did for someone when you love them.

The first time Ennoshita told him that was the first time he had told Fukunaga he loved him. 

Fukunaga had lost his voice in response.  What was normally something just floating under the surface and ready to use whenever he felt it necessary slipped away completely as Fukunaga’s face turned red.  Ennoshita simply laughed at him and said it again.

“I love you.”

He didn’t expect a verbal response.  He never did.  Ennoshita just always knew, and Fukunaga made sure that he knew through the ways he liked to communicate.

With a kiss or a hug or a note in his lunch sack.  Ennoshita knew, and that was enough.

After the ice cream lunch that made Fukunaga feel more sleepy than anything else, Ennoshita pulled Fukunaga on to their next locations.  A movie in a different language at the niche theatre near the café. Window shopping downtown until Fukunaga got overwhelmed by the afternoon crowd and they pulled away from the busy streets to rest on a bench as Ennoshita told him about what he had been doing at work for the best few weeks.  It was a simple day, but Fukunaga liked simple.  He could listen to Ennoshita talk all day if he wanted to.  As long as he got to rest his head against Ennoshita’s shoulder and close his eyes as his boyfriend’s deep voice washed over him, he would be forever happy.

When the sky overhead began shifting from blue to orange, Ennoshita pulled Fukunaga from the bench, saying that the day was not over yet.  Fukunaga sighed, a small smile curling up his lips as he slipped his arm through the crook of Ennoshita’s elbow.  Fukunaga held himself close as they walked towards their next destination, his hands squeezing Ennoshita’s bicep lightly so that he didn’t lose his hold.

Ennoshita led him back through downtown until they found a small diner with a sign outside saying that it was closed for a private party.   When Ennoshita tried to go through the door, Fukunaga pulled back, tugging on his arm to show him the sign.

Ennoshita just grinned and kissed Fukunaga’s cheek in response. 

The room was dark when Ennoshita pushed Fukunaga inside.  He grabbed Fukunaga’s shoulders and led him from behind, as if he knew where to go in this unfamiliar dark restaurant.  Fukunaga could swear he heard soft whisperings in the dark, but chose to let Ennoshita have his moment as he calls out to the room, “he’s here!”

There’s a flash of light as the lights flicker on, as well as a loud snap as someone sprays confetti over their heads.  Someone is shouting as another person begins only the first round of ‘happy birthday’ that he would hear that night.  Fukunaga had jumped back to press himself against Ennoshita’s chest as the loud noises startled him, but when he saw the people shouting were no more than his old friends from high school, and the new friends he’d made since he began dating Ennoshita, he quickly began to smile.

Ennoshita managed only to whisper an ‘are you okay?’ before Fukunaga was whisked off by some of the friends he had been missing due to their respective schedules.  Inuoka was the first to pull him into a hug, apologizing all the while about how he was so sorry he nearly messed up the surprise.  Fukunaga could only pat his arm to let him know it was alright before he was pulled off to greet another friend. 

The small restaurant was full of their friends there to celebrate his birthday.  The noise would usually bother him, but Fukunaga couldn’t help but laugh along with them all as Taketora loudly told him another joke that he had missed since the last time they saw each other.  He could feel Ennoshita’s eyes on him for most of the dinner, but Fukunaga could not focus on any one person as he kept getting pulled in many different directions.

It was fun, he thought.  And for once, he didn’t mind being the focus of everyone’s attention because he knew it was exactly what Ennoshita wanted.

The sun was well past set by the time his friends began to dwindle and wish them a good night.  Many were planning to stay in Tokyo for the rest of the week, and promised to see Fukunaga again in an atmosphere he was more comfortable with.  Fukunaga only raised his hands in a wave as acknowledgement, and he figured they must have understood that he would enjoy that from the cheesy grins they all had when they left.

Once everyone had departed, Fukunaga waited outside for Ennoshita to settle the bill.  The night was cool and soothed his heated skin after being so flustered by all the excitement.

Fukunaga was rightly exhausted by the end of dinner.  He had gotten to spent time with friends, some that he hadn’t seen in a long while.  He had eaten his favorite food without having to worry about his and Ennoshita’s cat trying to swat some off of his plate.  He had spent all day with his love, and now, he was on the way home with Ennoshita’s arm wrapped around his shoulders, holding him close as they padded down the dark streets.

They were almost home when Ennoshita started humming, low and sweet under his breath.  Fukunaga grinned, pressing himself closer to Ennoshita’s side, even if it made it slightly more difficult for them to walk.

“Shouhei?”

Fukunaga hummed in response, matching the tone of the tune Ennoshita had been singing just moments before.

“If there was one thing that could make today perfect, what would it be?”

Fukunaga scrunched up his forehead as he thought, wondering what Ennoshita was getting at.  He already thought today was as close to perfect as one could possibly get.  But, so he could at least answer Ennoshita’s question, Fukunaga pulled them to a stop on the sidewalk.  He faced Ennoshita with the most serious look he could muster before booping him on the nose with his index finger.

Ennoshita laughed before grabbing Fukunaga’s hand and kissing his palm.  He placed the hand against his cheek, nuzzling against it as Fukunaga’s cheeks became warm.  “Me, huh?”

Fukunaga nodded, moving his free hand to Ennoshita’s other cheek, pulling him close for a quick kiss.  They were still in public, and in the middle of the sidewalk no less, so they could not continue their affection for very long.  But even after their lips parted, Ennoshita made sure to grasp Fukunaga’s hand once again as they continued their walk back home.

“Shouhei…is it okay-”  Ennoshita coughed, cutting himself off in the process.  Fukunaga quirked an eyebrow at him, questioning the crack in his voice as he tried to speak.  Ennoshita’s cheeks flushed as he regained control, and he patted Fukunaga’s hand so he would know he was okay.  “Is it okay if we do one last thing before we go home?  I know you’re tired, but….I think you’ll enjoy this.”

Fukunaga cocked his head to one side, studying the side of Ennoshita’s face as they stood at a corner, waiting to cross the street.  Their apartment was just on the other side of the road, and Fukunaga could practically feel the warmth of their bed as he thought about it.  But, he couldn’t tell if the red on Ennoshita’s face was caused by the traffic lights or a blush, so he nodded, letting Ennoshita lead him to one last place.

At the bounce of Fukunaga’s head, Ennoshita’s mouth turned into a shy smile, just like the one Fukunaga saw when Ennoshita first asked him on a date in their third year of high school.  Ennoshita pulled him along then, down a side street and away from their apartment.

The walk wasn’t very far, as Ennoshita pulled him into a park nearby that never locked their gates.  It had been years since Fukunaga had been there, seeing as it was a park primarily for small children, rather than people of all ages.  All that was there was a small playground, complete with swings that Ennoshita pressed him down into.

Fukunaga picked up his feet, letting Ennoshita push him on the squeaky swing.  Last time he was here, the playground equipment had been covered in peeling red paint.  But now, it seems as if someone had redone the whole place in a deep dark green that almost looked black at this time of night.  There was only one light that worked in the entire park, and it was situated just behind them, casting long shadows of their bodies on the woodchips below their feet.

The last time he was here, Fukunaga was still in high school.  Nekoma actually wasn’t too far from here, and could easily be reached in ten to fifteen minutes by foot.  During their third year, Fukunaga often took Ennoshita here to escape whenever training camps got too rowdy.  Ennoshita had been captain, and after their first conversation, Fukunaga paid attention to the way stress lines would appear on his forehead when his team didn’t behave.  Whenever his face got too red or his angry sighs turned to exasperation, Fukunaga would take him by the wrist and pull him away, to the only place he knew would be peaceful after the sun went down.

The children would be gone and the only sounds would be the squeaking of the swings, and the soft sounds of their voices once Fukunaga felt brave enough to talk to a stranger.

But Ennoshita was no stranger now.  He hadn’t been for a long while.  Not since they first got to know each other as they rocked side by side under the yellow light of the lamp.

A lot of firsts happened in this place, Fukunaga realized as Ennoshita pushed him into the air.

This was where they first escaped together to avoid their noisy teams, and it would be where they came back to again and again each time Karasuno visited Tokyo.

It was where Ennoshita first confessed after they got to know each other in the time between camps.

It was where they first kissed when Fukunaga finally felt brave enough to answer Ennoshita’s confession, even though he could not reciprocate with words.

It was where Ennoshita would first hear Fukunaga’s voice, a gift only a few people ever got to hear.

It was here that Fukunaga would first say Ennoshita’s given name.  It was the closest thing to ‘I love you’ that Fukunaga could bring himself to say. It had the same number of syllables, and Fukunaga suspected that it had the same effect on Ennoshita that actually saying those words would have had.

Ennoshita’s pushes got weaker, and Fukunaga’s feet began to drag on the ground.  When he finally slowed to a stop, he felt Ennoshita’s lips on the back of his neck as his arms wrapped around Fukunaga’s chest.

“Did you have fun today?”

“Yeah.”  Fukunaga nodded as well, but in the quiet park, he felt comfortable enough to let his actually voice slip through.

“I’m so glad.  I really wanted to make this a special day for you.”

Fukunaga couldn’t see Ennoshita’s face, so he shrugged his shoulders to let him know that he wanted him to move.  Ennoshita came to his side, and Fukunaga led him to stand in front of him.  He was close enough to hug now, so Fukunaga leaned forward, burying his face in Ennoshita’s shirt.  He felt Ennoshita’s laugh, even down in his stomach, and he sighed as he felt Ennoshita’s fingers glide through his hair.

“Chikara.”  Fukunaga’s voice was soft, but still loud enough for Ennoshita to hear.  Fukunaga felt hands on his shoulders, pushing him back lightly so that Ennoshita could see his face.

“I love you.”

Fukunaga hummed in response, a blissful smile curling up the edges of his mouth.  Ennoshita tried to grin in response, but his hands were beginning to shake on Fukunaga’s shoulders.

“Wow, I had this whole speech planned out telling you all the things I love about you, but seeing you look at me like that makes me forget.  You literally take my words away.”

Fukunaga felt himself begin to giggle at the cheesy joke, but he still remembered to throw Ennoshita a questioning look.  He wasn’t exactly sure what Ennoshita was getting at, but he knew the explanation was soon to come.

“We’ve never really needed a lot of words though. Have we, Shouhei?”

Fukunaga shook his head, the entire swing rocking as he twisted his body.  Ennoshita grabbed the chains to get him to stop swinging before kissing the top of his head.

“I…don’t know how to say this without sounding really dumb, because you’re so smart you probably already know why we’re here.”

Fukunaga shook his head sharply, still confused.

“Or maybe not.  But, this is where we first became friends, and where you first agreed to go out with me.”  Ennoshita was fumbling with his jacket now, his hands shaky after letting go of the swing’s chain. ”And, I just couldn’t imagine asking you this question in a place other than where we first started our relationship.”

Fukunaga pressed his lips together, still not quite understanding until Ennoshita dropped down to the ground.  He felt Ennoshita’s chin graze his knee and he reached down to pat his boyfriend’s hair as he hides his face against Fukunaga’s thighs in embarrassment.  He collected himself after a few moments and lifted his face, now flushed red as Fukunaga brushed his bangs away from his face.

“Shouhei…I wanted this to be more special than me bumping my chin on your legs as I got down on my knees but…”  Ennoshita was back to fumbling with his coat’s pockets again, and Fukunaga gasped as he finally understood.  “I’d like to spend the rest of my life with you, if you’ll have me.”

Fukunaga covered his mouth with his hands muffling the second surprised gasp as Ennoshita flicked open a tiny box and held it up for him to see.  It was thin and gold, the color of metal they decided months ago would look best on both of their skins after watching an unbelievably cheesy romance movie a week after Valentine’s Day.  Fukunaga wanted to reach out and touch it, because he knew this was too good to be true.  All he could do was nod his head as Ennoshita’s wide, handsome smile returned to his face.

But Ennoshita deserved a real answer.  After everything they’ve been through together, this was the least Fukunaga could do for him.

Fukunaga has always been a silent person, but that didn’t keep him from crying out a ‘Yes’ when Ennoshita goes down on one knee and presents him with a ring.

Ennoshita is standing up to hug him as Fukunaga tries to slide out of the swing to meet him on the ground.  Then end up knocking heads and falling to the earth before Ennoshita laughs and pulls Fukunaga to his chest.  He kisses away the happy tears on Fukunaga’s face before gently pulling his left hand towards him to slip the ring on.  Because the ring had been in Ennoshita’s pocket all day, the metal was warm and made Fukunaga’s heart soar as it slid against his skin.

They sat on the ground in silence for a few moments as Fukunaga inspected the ring, twisting it around his finger as Ennoshita watched him.  He felt Ennoshita’s hands on his skin, still holding him close as the reality of their future set in.

“Thank you.”

Ennoshita jumped as Fukunaga spoke.  He knew his love rarely spoke without being prompted, and he couldn’t help but ask, “what for?”

“For this.”  Fukunaga held out his hand, watching the way the gold band caught the light of the streetlamp.  “For everything.”

“Shouhei, you don’t have to thank me for that…. Everything I did today was to make sure you knew you were loved….by so many people.”  Ennoshita kissed his cheek and Fukunaga slumped against him, resting his head against the top of his chest.  “But mostly so you knew how much you are loved by me.”

Fukunaga felt a laugh bubbling up in the back of his throat, so silly happy at the fact that he had a man such as Ennoshita in his life.  He did feel loved, of course he did.  He felt loved every day of his life because Ennoshita always made sure that he knew.  And Ennoshita should know too.

“Thank you….for you.”

His voice was muffled because he had his face pressed against Ennoshita’s chest, but his meaning was still clear.  Ennoshita pressed his face against Fukunaga’s hair, holding him tight as he rained kisses on his new fiancée’s face.

Fukunaga didn’t say it often, because he had so many ways of saying it that didn’t need words.  But it was his birthday, and he wanted to indulge himself in the beautiful, glowing smile Ennoshita always gave him when he said it.

It’s his present to himself, he thinks, as his mouth rounds out the last word.

“Chikara…I love you.”

Ennoshita’s smile cracked across his face, eyes glistening as he held Fukunaga close.  It was easily the best sight Fukunaga had seen all day, but the hand in his hair as Ennoshita’s lips fall on his may be the best way to begin the end of his birthday.


	2. Chapter 2

The morning after his birthday was much more comfortable than the day before.  There were no pans clanging in the kitchen, his body didn’t ache, and Ennoshita was still lying beside him in bed.  They had fallen asleep curled around each other, but sometime in the night, Ennoshita had rolled away, sprawling himself out on his back with one arm still under Fukunaga’s head.  Chasing the warmth of Ennoshita’s body, Fukunaga scooted over until his head was resting against his fiancée’s bare chest.

Fukunaga flexed his fingers, stretching his limbs as much as he could without having to move away from Ennoshita.  His eyes caught the yellow flash of morning light off of his new ring.  He still couldn’t believe that this was real.  That the man sleeping beside him, the man he loved more than anything in the world, had actually asked him to spend the rest of their lives together the night before.

It was more than he could ever ask for, and he was beyond happy.  He couldn’t stop looking at it.  The symbol of their relationship that meant more to him than Ennoshita probably knew.  Holding his fingers straight out, Fukunaga inspected the way the ring wrapped around his skinny finger.   It was real, it was tangible, and it was one of the most beautiful things that Fukunaga had ever seen.

Letting out a loud sigh, Fukunaga closed his eyes and cradled his hand against his face.  He decided that because Ennoshita was still asleep, it was still not time for morning.  He wanted to let the steady beat of Ennoshita’s heart lull him back to sleep as the warm light of morning fell against his naked back.

Fukunaga had nearly let his heavy eyes fall closed once more when he heard his phone begin to buzz somewhere in the room.  He couldn’t imagine who would try to contact him today of all days.  He and Ennoshita had both taken all week off of work, and it was much too early for any of their friends who had remained in town to be bothering them.

He begrudgingly removed himself from Ennoshita’s chest, crawling over to the edge of the bed to figure out where his phone was.  Fukunaga fished it out of his pants, discarded by the bed sometime last night.  He knew he shouldn’t have been surprised to see Inuoka’s name on his screen, multiple messages popping up under his name.  Fukunaga rolled his eyes before returning to Ennoshita’s side, phone in hand.

The first message was just a ‘thank you for inviting me!’ followed by an apology because even Inuoka knew it was too early for anyone who isn’t a morning person to be awake.  Inuoka had always lived by the policy of ‘the sun’s awake, so that means I have to be awake’ (which was probably why Fukunaga never spent the night at his house in high school).

Inuoka’s third message made Fukunaga roll his eyes, because he just knew his friend had known Ennoshita was going to propose.  Now, Inuoka was just trying to make up for the fact that he nearly spoiled the surprise a couple weeks ago.

_Inuoka : soooooo, did you like Enno-san’s gift for you???_

Fukunaga rolled his eyes, and decided against teasing the big dork for nearly ruining the secret.

_Fukunaga : d(o-o) nice_

Fukunaga could practically hear the whine Inuoka made in response to his message, smiling as he read the speedy response

_Inuoka : well come on now, let me see it!_

Letting out a sigh, Fukunaga shifted so the back of his head was resting on Ennoshita’s shoulder.  It wasn’t the most comfortable position to take a picture of himself from, but he made it work as he held his hand up in front of his face, proudly displaying his new engagement ring.

After sending the photo off, Fukunaga pulled it back up as he curled against Ennoshita’s side.  He was snoring a bit now, a sign Fukunaga had gotten used to that meant Ennoshita would be waking up soon.  Fukunaga sent the picture to Ennoshita’s phone as well, liking the way they looked together.

It took Inuoka a few moments longer than Fukunaga expected to answer him back.  When he did, Fukunaga had to wrinkle his nose in confusion.

_Inuoka : I….am not sure what gift I’m supposed to be looking at fuku_

_Fukunaga : ???_

Inuoka’s response was once again delayed, but when it finally came, Fukunaga felt like curling in a ball and hiding under the covers for the rest of the week.

_Inuoka : enno-san sure looks like you gave him a nice gift too_

Fukunaga tossed his phone away, letting it get lost in the sheets as he tried to gingerly reach across Ennoshita to delete the picture he had sent to his phone.  But just as he reached across his body, Fukunaga felt Ennoshita’s hands on his sides, tickling his skin until he his arms gave out and he flopped to the bed.  Or rather, until he flopped right onto Ennoshita’s chest.

Ennoshita let out a loud groan before pulling Fukunaga up to press a kiss to the side of his head.

“Trying to be sneaky?”  Ennoshita’s voice was playful despite having just woken up, and Fukunaga could only shake his head in response.

Ennoshita released him with a soft chuckle, allowing Fukunaga to roll away.  Ennoshita patted his side before reaching over to grab his phone to check the time.  Fukunaga tried to pull the blankets up to cover his head, dreading the inevitable as Ennoshita unlocked his phone.

“Oh.”

Fukunaga ducked his head down, feeling his face heat as he remembered what he accidentally showed to Inuoka only a few moments ago.

“It looks like your shoulder is going to bruise really deeply this time.”

Fukunaga nodded his head, so Ennoshita would know he had heard.  He could feel the heat of the hickey as he thought about it.  He knew that it was very apparent in the picture, along with the fact that he and Ennoshita still remained shirtless after their night together.  Red marks on Ennoshita’s chest were apparent as well, and Fukunaga wanted to force a shirt over Ennoshita’s head so that he wouldn’t be reminded of his texting accident.

Fukunaga felt the bed shift, and he knew Ennoshita was hovering over him, trying to get him to pull the cover away from his face.

“Would you like another mark to balance it out, Shouhei?”

Fukunaga pressed his shoulder up against Ennoshita’s chest, pushing him over until his back hit the bed.  Fukunaga crawled over, making sure Ennoshita could see the pout set on his lips before tapping his fingers against Ennoshita’s neck.

“What do you want, Shouhei?”

Fukunaga shrugged, trying to play nonchalant as he shook off the edge of his embarrassment from sending Inuoka the photo.  It wasn’t really that bad if he thought about it, and it wasn’t like that wasn’t something he and Ennoshita shouldn’t be doing.

They were fiancées now after all.

“You know,” Ennoshita sighed as he ran his hands from Fukunaga’s hips and up his sides.  “It’s not your birthday anymore, but I can still think of another gift I can give you.”

Ennoshita’s sentence was punctuated with a telling wink, and Fukunaga would have thumped his nose if he wasn’t worried about the tickle attack Ennoshita was likely to throw his way in return.

Instead, Fukunaga simply leaned down and kissed his nose, accepting his belated birthday gift, and all the future presents to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ITS STILL FUKU'S BIRTHDAY HERE FOR ANOTHER 3 AND A HALF HOURS????  
> Idk I just...wanted to write a little bit more cute for his birthday. So there's this thanks for reading~  
> >3

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so happy I got to finish this in time for my favorite boy's birthday! I had this idea for a couple of months now, and really wanted to be able to do it in time for Fukunaga's birthday. He just makes me so happy and I needed a bit of fluff in my life with him and Ennoshita. My friend over on tumblr (@cakeandwine69) is also doing something for Fukunaga's birthday, so please go check her stuff out!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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